Tornado damages roofs in Standerton area
What seemed like usual rainfall on Monday afternoon (November 13) grew to be a disastrous storm, with internet users sharing footage of a tornado moving through Tutuka Power Station between Bethal and Standerton.
What seemed like usual rainfall on Monday afternoon (November 13) grew to be a disastrous storm, with internet users sharing footage of a tornado moving through Tutuka Power Station between Bethal and Standerton.
South African Weather Service forecaster Vanetia Phakula said the video looked like the real thing, but the weather forecast teams were yet to asses the affected areas in Bethal.
“We also saw that video and picture on the internet. It looked true. You can tell by how the trees were swirling in the video, which gives some indication as to the intensity of the tornado,” said Phakula
The South African Weather Service said they will conclude the assessment of the Bethal tornado in the coming weeks. Phakula said parts of Standerton and Bethal were known for tornado developments.
“Summer storms are upon us, and this is when we start to see tornado developments around parts of the country. The Mpumalanga region between Standerton and Eswatini is notorious for tornado developments at this time of the year,” said Phakula.
Electrical infrastructure and properties were damaged when the tornado, accompanied by heavy rainfall and hail, hit Seriti and Thuthukani that afternoon.
The Lekwa Municipality told the Standerton Advertiser the heavy storm brought down power lines in Thuthuka that supply Morgenzon and surrounding areas with electricity.
Lekwa Municipality communications manager Lubabalo Majenge said the municipality worked tirelessly to restore electricity on time.
“The electricity was restored almost 23 hours after the tornado hit. It also affected the water supply because there was no electricity for water pumping. This has been restored since,” said Majenge.
He added that one house in Thuthukani township had its roof damaged, and with the help of residents and the local ward councillor, it was repaired.
The Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, the National Disaster Management Centre’s Dr Elias Sithole, said the regional Cogta team was still compiling a report on the damage.
“At this stage, I cannot confirm 100%, but I did not see those videos online. A team was on the ground, and I am waiting for their report. It should be with me shortly,” said Sithole.
In the video, the tornado is seen touching down in a large open plain with electricity infrastructure in the foreground and trees beside it. The tornado swirls in a clockwise direction while the tree in the foreground blows in a direction matching the tornado.
ALSO CHECK: Storm forces eMzinoni residents from their homes
In footage shared by Roads Angels Traffic Information, the roads were covered in hailstones, and the motorway appeared to be covered in a layer of ice.
Mphikeleli Masangu from Ridge Times, sister newspaper to Standerton Advertiser, reported that electricity poles were damaged and left all of eMzinoni (Bethal) without electricity.
Nelly Lukhele (71) and her grandchildren thought it was their last day on earth when their roof blew off.
“We were left without a roof and forced to find a place to hide until the storm subsided. Fortunately, we found the roof sheet in our yard.
“When we realised all was quiet, we went outside and heard our neighbours also suffered the same fate. We all tried to reuse the damaged roof sheets to at least have a roof over our heads,” said Lukhele.
She cannot afford to buy new corrugated iron sheets for her house because she needs her pension money for her grandchildren and her survival.
She asked anyone, including the Govan Mbeki Municipality, to intervene. Elizabeth Mahlangu, whose house roofing also blew away, said she cannot believe she and her family are still alive after their ordeal.
Mahlangu said the storm began as a normal gush of wind. She and her family were inside the house when the sheet over their lounge suddenly flew off.
“We realised our lives were in danger and ran to hide under the tables. The rest of the roof disappeared.
“It was already in the evening when the storm had passed, and we went to our relatives for a place to sleep,” said Mahlangu.
